A basic North Country Spider...Woodcock and Orange. The fly is tied very sparse using silk thread for a body some hares mask for the thorax and two turns of woodcock. This is an almost never fail fly. In the water it sends out in waves the words "eat me"...I was looking at some tying materials online and man inflation has hit those too. Some rooster saddles are going for 40 to 50 dollars and good luck finding the colors you want.
The woodcock and olive...olive thread, hares mask thorax and woodcock hackle.
The "Black Ghost"...Herb Welch's most popular streamer. This fly was created in Maine on the shores of Mooselookmeguntic Lake. The fly first tied at the Boston Sportsmen's Show in 1927. It does have to it's record a five and a half pound brook, and I'm sure a few larger. A great smelt fly pattern.
Fried smelts....a seasoned light batter and then fried in hot oil. I eat these whole, bones and all.
I used to love fried Smelt back in WI. B.ut none in NM.:-( Filled buckets full with dip nets off the Milwaukee piers
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill sounds as if you had a great source of fresh smelt. We would jig for them through the ice. Keep a bunch for eating and use some for live bait. The browns in the lake loved smelt to.
Boy, that lake is one tongue twister. the Smelts look great, but I would have to pass. Bones and all, phew.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark the lakes name is easy to remember but a bit*h to say-spell. The bones on some of the smaller ones actually melt when cooked.
Ironically I am tying a Waterhen Bloa as I read this. Those smelts look delicious as well ALan. This recent read may inspire you and the readers going into winter.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theslidingstream.net/fly-tying-winter/
Best wishes,
Seth
seth campbell
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Seth that's one of the North Country best patterns. That's a wonderful link....inspire it does.
Hi Alan
ReplyDeleteLike you and Seth, I have been hatching som soft hackles from my vice - Hares Lugg & Plover for this weekend. Just like yours, they are also tied nice and sparse, unlike the heavy weight Egan's GTNs which hatched before them!
I do like the look of those fried smelt. Not sure if you have it over there, but we have a similar dish here called "Whitebait" - flour dusted sprats, deep fried. My local Fish & Chip Shop (or "Chippy") does them in beef dripping and they are fantastic. I would love to try those smelt the same way.
Take care and stay safe
Alistair
Alistair
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Alistair it sounds as if you may be fishing this weekend. I favor the sparseness in these flies, it's so elegant. Beef drippings would add some flavor. Smelt are quite tasty and would be a favorite of yours also.
The smelt runs up here used to be legendary. Back in the day, we were dipping 10" smelt from St.Froid. If northern F&G departments were smart they'd manage the lake run smelt population above the rest. You never de-bone smelt, ...the bones just add a nice crunch; think of them as piscatorial panko.
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike 10" smelt, wow. There was mention of some lakes in Maine seeing a decline in smelt. I know the locals would say that when we're catching skinny salmon it was a bad year for smelts. "piscatorial panko" I like that.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThe Grey Ghost is my all-time favorite streamer---excellent job at the vice---thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill the gray ghost is one of the best streamers to come out of the state of Maine. Carrie Stevens had many more.
I haven't had fried smelt in years (always on Christmas Eve)! When I was doing a lot of upland bird hunting I always had a plentiful source of American woodcock feathers which were one of my favorites to tie and fish with, especially the orange/woodcock. And I caught my first trout on a fly using a Gray Ghost - great pattern. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteNJpatbee
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Pat smelts are a Christmas eve tradition.
Woodcock is a lovely feather to work with. Most times they are very well marked and the soft subtle movement is a killer when tied on the hook. I really miss not being able to hunt "birds"....
Love those classic spiders, and love tying with woodcock aka Timberdoodle. I also very much admire your work with streamers, another unique aspect of the flytying world for me as yet untouched. The smelts look amazing, wonder if an Airfryer would work. . . . Gearing up for Thanksgiving, this weekend roast the wings for stock for the gravy, I boil it down to create pure turkey essence.
ReplyDeleteKevin
Ned Zeppelin
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Kevin spiders have that timeless beauty thing going for them, sort of like wild brook trout. Streamers are the first flies I started tying back in the late 90's..they to are a joy to tie and fish. You are a man that knows turkey. Roasting the wings before boiling makes the best stock, so rich.